1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to fuel filter brackets and, more specifically, to an improved fuel filter bracket for quickly and effortlessly mounting a fuel filter to the fuel system of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of bracketry are known in the art for securing a fuel filter to a vehicle fuel line interposed between its fuel tank and fuel intake. The fuel filter conventionally comprises a body which surrounds a filter element and which includes inlet and outlet lines which attach to the fuel line and which transport the fuel through the filtering element within the filter and then on to the fuel intake.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,894, issued to Twork, Sr. et al., discloses a fuel filter bracket for mounting a fuel filter to a vehicle without the need for tools or special equipment. The fuel filter bracket includes a base and a pair of arcuate side walls extending from the base which are spaced apart at their distal ends to create an opening. Each of the distal ends of the arcuate side walls includes an outwardly flared flange and the flanges, upon coming into abutting contact with the filter body, are forcibly spread outwardly to permit insertion of the cylindrically shaped filter. The arcuate side walls of the bracket are dimensioned in their unflexed position to be of a diameter somewhat smaller than that of the cylindrical fuel filter and are thus caused to bias inwardly against the sides of the filter in response to their initial outward deflection to hold the inserted filter in place.
The shortcoming of the Twork, Sr. et al. bracket is that a considerable amount of force is required on the part of the installer in order to spread apart the flanges to install the filter within the bracket. In an environment such as an auto assembly plant it is often necessary for an assembly worker to install hundreds of filters in succession. Considering that the required amount of force necessary each time a filter is installed does not change, it can become progressively more difficult for the worker to successively install the filters and, over time, will likely result in lower productivity and the possibility of injury to the worker's wrists and hands.
Also, while the disclosure of Twork states that the arcuate members are not deflected beyond their yield points as a result of the filter insertion, it is a known scientific fact that metal of any composition will begin to creep over time if it is held under stress. In a situation such as in Twork where the biasing forces of the outwardly deflected arcuate walls are the only holding forces generated by the bracket, and the bracket is necessary for holding the fuel filter in place over extended periods of time, it is very possible that the holding forces of the side walls against the walls of filter will weaken over time.